Balance—unstable but always sought and achieved—is undoubtedly the principal characteristic of the work made by Sirous Namazi, an Iranian-born Swedish artist who is eclectic in his use of techniques and materials. (He ranges from sculpture to photography to installation to painting.) This is his first solo exhibition in Italy, in anticipation of his appearance in this year’s Venice Biennale, where he will represent Sweden. Here he exhibits works that, while extremely varied, are linked by the architectural features and privacy of the house.
Untitled (modules), 2007, is a wall sculpture comprising a sequence of geometric, colored metal modules, one next to another, each of which reproduces the framing of a dwelling. One can decipher the continuous facade, similar to what one might find walking along some street, dotted with working-class housing projects, on the urban periphery. At first glance, the seven photographic images that make up Interior, 2007, seem completely black, devoid of imagery; slowly, however, they reveal a domestic intimacy. A new realm nestles within the space of the gallery. This could be purely imaginary, or it could be a Stockholm apartment, documented at night with the lights out. Visual balance in this case is guaranteed through pictorial play; the forms of an existing reality are revealed only through the symbolic gamut of blacks. Thus there are shadows, outlines, profiles, reflections, objects, and everything that pertains to our domestic lives—even in the absence of light.
Translated from Italian by Marguerite Shore.
